Car-coupler



(No Medel.)

. E. DBDERICK.

GAR COUPLER.

Ne. 329,025. Peteneed oet. 27, 1885.

mums@ lUNTTTgn STnTns BaTnNT @Trina EZRA DEDERICK, OF MILWAUKEE, VISCNSIN.

lGAR=COUPLERg` SPECIFIGATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 329,025, dated @etober 2'7, 1885, Application tiled September 5, 1885. Serial No. 176,234. y (No model.)

T0 @ZZ w/wm t may con/cern;

Be it known that I, Eznil Danni-zien, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented new and usef'ul Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of ref` erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to car-couplers; and its construction and operation is explained-by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of two couplers as they appear when approaching each other preparatory to being coupled together. l? ig. 2 represents a horizontal section of one of the couplers. t

Like parts are represented by the same reference-letters in both views.

The bumpers A of the two opposing cars are each provided with angular vertical recesses B for the reception of the latches or couplingdogs C. The rear ends of the dogs G are secured to the bumpers Ain the recesses D on the rectangularlower end of the vertical shaft E, which shaft passes through a rectangular aperture formed through the inner ends of said dogs C, whereby said dogs are turned outward toward and away from the approaching bumper by turning said shaft E. F is a spiral spring, which is affixed at one end to the said shaft E, and at its other end to the bumper, in such a manner that it is compressed as said dogs C are thrownoutward, and as said springs recoil they throw said dogs G in the opposite direction, thereby throwing the'free ends of said dogs C inward or toward each other. Thus it is obvious that as the cars approach each other the respective dogs C are each thrown outward away from the other by contact of their angular ends with the angular surfaces G of the bumpers, and they are there retained until they reach the vertical recess B, when they are thrown toward each other by the recoil of said springs F into said recesses B, thus coupling the cars together. The dogs C of each bumper engage in the recessB of the other bumper, thereby forming a double-lock coupling of the cars. To prevent all liability of the respectare at right angles to the bumpers A in the position shown, prevents said dogs from moving outward far enough to become disengaged from said recesses.

When desirous to uncouple the cars, it becomes necessary to turn both of said keepers H backward toward the car, so that said dogs C-may become disengaged from said recesses.

It is obvious that it is necessary to disengage both of said dogs simultaneously, and to accomplish this end by-a single person it becomes necessary to communicate the motion applied to one shaft E to the other shaft E, and to do this the arms I are provided, which arms have rectangular bearings for the reception of the rectangular bearings of the shafts E, whereby said shafts and arms are caused to turn together, whether the motion be applied to the levers I or to the top of the shafts E.

When desirous to operate the bracket-s from the top of the car, motion is communicated thereto'by a hand wheel or lever, J.

When desirous to turn the shaft E from the ground, motion is communicated to the lever I.

Motion is communicated from one of said levers I to the other by contact of the vertical brackets K K with the horizontal. brackets L L. rlhe vertical width of the brackets K are such as to admit of the upward and downward movements of the cars without being thrown out of contact with the opposing brackets L. The length of the brackets L horizontally is such as not to be thrown out of contact with the vertical brackets K by the horizontal movements of the ears. It will now be obvious that as either of the levers I is turned the opposing lever I will also be turned simultaneously in the same direction by contact of said brackets K with said brackets L, and that said movement may be communicated either from the ground or from the top of the car, as desired. Motion is communicated from the shaft E to said retaining-keepers II by contact of the arm or bearing M, which is rigidly aflixed to said shaft E, with the short arms N of 10o said keepers H.

Thekeepers H are pivoted tothe bumpers A above and below by pivotal bolts IO, whereby as said arms N are moved forward by the turning of said shaft E said keepers H are both simultaneously thrown back from contact with the coupling-dogs G,and simultaneously with said movements of the keepers, said couplingdogs C are disengaged from said recesses B by the action of said shaft E, as mentioned, and said couplings are thereby uncoupled.

It will be obvious that as said dogs are thrown apart from each other in the act of coupling, by contact of their angular surfaces with the angular surfaces of the bumper, motion is communicated therefrom through the shaft E to said keepers H, whereby said keepers H are both thrown back out of contact with said dogs automatically as the couplings are brought together, and by the recoil of the spring whichV turns said shaft said keepers are thrown forward again automatically, and thus prevent said coupling-dogs from becoming disengaged,

the act of coupling together being entirely automatic.

Cars provided with my couplers are coupled with foreign cars by an ordinary coupling link and pin. I) is a recess formed for the reception of such coupling-link, and It is an aperture for the reception of the coupling-pin. The vertical recesses B are of sufficient length to permit of the upward and downward movement of the cars, while they prevent the couplingdog from being disengaged therefrom. They also are of such length as to permit cars of all the various heights to be coupled together. A chain, S, is suspended from the end of the car in a convenient position to attach to one end of the levers S, whereby, when desirous to do so,the coupling-dogs may be held out of locking position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a car-coupler, the combination of the bumpers A, provided with broad vertical recesses B upon one of their vertical sides, dogs or latches C, pivoted to their opposite sides,

vertical shaft E, having bearings in said bumpers and affixed to and adapted to turn said dogs C, springs F, affixed at one end to said shafts E and at the other to said bumpers A. and adapted by their recoil to turn said shafts and move said dogs, dog-retaining keeper H, pivoted to said bumpers, arms M, rigidly affixed at one end to said shafts E, while their other ends engage against the arms N of said keepers, whereby as said shafts E are turned said retaining-keepers are moved awa-y from said dogs, and brackets K and L, arranged to communicate motion from oneof said levers I to the other as either of said levers I are moved, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The improvement in car-couplers herein described, consisting in the combination of the bumpers A, having vertical coupling-recesses B, linklreceiving recess P, and pin-receiving aperture R, rectangular shaft E,itted into rectangular holes formed therefor in the dogs C, levers J, affixed to the upper ends of said shafts E, dogs C, spiral springs F, affixed at one end to the bumpers and at the other to said dogs, dogretaining keepers H, pivoted to said bumpers, arms M, rigidly affixed to said vertical shaft, arms N, forming an extension of or affixed to said keeper and adapted as said shaft E is turned to move said kcepers,levers I,provided at one end with a vertical bracket, K, and at the other end with a horizontal bracket, L, said brackets being adapted to communicate motion from one of said levers to the other as the cars are coupled and uncoupl'ed, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In the car-coupler herein described, the 'cambinatiom with the end of the car and with one end of the levers I, of theleverfretaining chain S, as adapted when engaged with said lever to hold said dogs out of coupling position, substantially as set forth.'

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. EZRA DEDERIOK.

Witnesses:

JAs. B. ERwrN, v C. T. BENEDIGT. 

